Queen Letizia premiers Maje floral printed dress for the opening of ARCOmadrid 2020

27/2/2020

The King and Queen of Spain attended the opening of the 39th edition of ARCOmadrid 2020, at IFEMA-Feria de Madrid on Thusday.

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ARCOmadrid is the International Contemporary Art Fair of Madrid. It is one of the prominent contemporary art fairs on the international circuit, held in the Spanish capital annually.

This year ARCOmadrid brings together a total of 209 galleries from 30 countries, Latin America is one of the main international participants, with a special presence from Brazil and Argentina, positioning ARCOmadrid as a cultural bridge between Europe and Latin America.

WHAT QUEEN LETIZIA WORE

DRESS: NEW! Maje Ravie floral-print satin midi dress (US$415). Reduced to $207.50 at Bloomingdales.

Queen Letizia wears Maje Ravie floral-print satin midi dress

SHOES: Manolo Blahnik snakeskin pumps with custom rubber platform sole (repeat).

EARRINGS: Gold & Roses Double Dagger Earrings (repeat).

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FASHION FLASHBACK

It is somewhat expected that Queen Letizia will premier an outfit for this annual art exhibition. Below is a look back at her previous ARCO ensembles since becoming Queen consort. Do you have a favourite?

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

17 Comments

Karen

3/3/2020 08:08:57 pm

2019 is my fav. 2020 is my least fav. The puffy sleeves, the shine, the pattern ... all very very wrong. Disaster.

Joanne in CA

4/3/2020 01:14:02 pm

Karen I agree...this is a miss for me too.

Karen

4/3/2020 08:15:13 pm

Miss for you too? Yeah, it's a miss.

Jennifer F

3/3/2020 08:55:20 pm

The Queen's last two looks from ARCOmadrid were fantastic, she bravely immersed herself in the theme of a contemporary art fair. Sadly, there is nothing I like about this look, I apologise in advance for my negativity. The 80s inspired design feels dated rather than 'on trend' and reminds me of Queen Sofia's red dress that Letizia wore 19/12/18, which I thought looked forced, rather than complimenting her natural flair. (Queen Sofia's red dress was most likely from a high-end designer or custom made. From a sustainability perspective, I respected the re-wearing of a beautifully made piece, whilst paying tribute to her mother in law.) Unlike Queen Sofia's dress, this isn't an example of fine craftmanship, design-wise I think it's too long, the sleeves too fussy and the single front slit unnecessary. As mentioned previously, I dislike the rubber platform on the pumps, it detracts from the sleek line of the 'Manolo Blahnik BB pumps', I don't think this dress was deserving of a new pair of shoes, I would have preferred the over the knee black Steve Madden boots. I hope Letizia will invest in a glamourous new style from the Spanish designer, as these pumps don't present as interesting or dressy. I wasn't necessarily expecting a fashion-forward look, I would have been equally happy with an elegant ensemble. For me, this is a disappointing miss on one of her most exciting fashion events of the year. Based on what we have seen so far, I haven't been enamored with the Queen and Eva Fernández's choices from French brands Maje and Sandro. I hope they don't become regulars in the Queen's wardrobe.

I wrote this comment on Thursday while my thoughts were still fresh. While out with friends on Saturday we walked passed a Maje store, I quickly popped in to take a look at this dress. Seeing it in person didn't improve my opinion, the satin material is very fine, it's unlined, and the cuffs are heavily ruched along with the tops of the arms. I was shocked that it retailed at £290 full price.

Wendy

4/3/2020 01:03:35 am

Unintelligible Art Déco? It is very rare, odd, weird. Maybe it was the intention...🤔😏😫

Karen

4/3/2020 08:13:54 pm

Well said.

Sandy

3/3/2020 11:43:13 pm

I like the colour and print of this dress but the puffy sleeves ruin the style. They are too prominent. I think fitted sleeves would improve the look. I also think the dress is too long for shoes and would look better with a low heel boot. I do like the wavy hairstyle.

Bertie

4/3/2020 05:48:48 am

I was beginning to think the stuff curls were a bit much on top of a crowded pattern, but I now think she needs some sort of big hair to counter all that's going on below. One of her better curled styles through having looser waves than some.

Bertie

4/3/2020 08:19:57 am

Maybe stuff might read better as stiff ;)

Bertie

4/3/2020 12:16:13 am

Letizia certainly put on the glamour for the art fair opening with her full curls and that rich red-and-black print. The success of the Maje dress seems to rest on which angle it is photographed from, as the unusual puff sleeve,, long enough to be ruffled all the way down, look awkward sometimes. But I think it is cleverly tailored for a contemporary take on grand sleeve style, and the gorgeous print makes up for everything.

Black courts work well, though I think the Blahnik textured snakeskin a bit busy against the print. Despite black being heavy against the midi length, the effect is eased by the fluidity of fabric working to keep Letizia elegant and slender. Interesting to use silver earrings against warm red, but again it works to give and upbeat contemporary edge. For some reason the Rose and Gold dagger set look bigger than I recall, quite pronounced, but still feminine,

Asya

4/3/2020 01:39:31 am

For me, I miss the streamlined styles of 2014-2015. This custom-made dress she wore in 2015 is one of my favorites of all time. I hope she brings it out of her closet again!

Wendy

4/3/2020 03:31:09 am

She wore it in 2017 too:

https://www.queenletiziastyle.com/blog/queen-letizia-reworks-felipe-varela-colour-block-dress

Stephanie

4/3/2020 10:39:28 am

This dress looks really odd across the upper torso from some angles. It's an atrractive print. The dress design seems to have too much material up top, in that you look at the Queen but your eye keeps going to the top of the dress as it doesn't sit properly.

Ava Pittman

4/3/2020 11:09:50 am

I may be in the minority but I think this dress looks lovely. Looking at it from different angles it appears better on certain positions of stance to me. To counteract the puffiness of the sleeves a sleeker version would have eluded to a more streamlined and polished effect. Satin can be a very unforgiving fabric to wear, I love the view in second photo of the Queen, this highlights her perfect posture. The black shoes work in well, but a plain style would have looked gorgeous. Lustrous waves, soft, and feminine look to her hair, a change to the sleek style. Dagger earrings are a favourite for me.

Bertie

4/3/2020 12:21:24 pm

I much admire your views and am honoured to be in a minority with you on the dress. I thought the cut of the sleeves was a clever way to create a contemporary version of something much more intricate and Edwardian in shape and finish. Like you, I had the benefit of finding photos which seemed more flattering.

Ava Pittman

4/3/2020 04:43:05 pm

Very true Bertie, the sleeves project a modern, present day spin and elaborate version of the Edwardian era. Partly the reason I liked the gown so much - its unusual. The satin fabric was worn brilliantly. I tend to like individual pieces / different and not normally what is on trend, this was very appealing to me!

Bertie

4/3/2020 10:55:08 pm

I'm with you on looking out for the things that are different:)

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Queen Letizia premiers Maje floral printed dress for the opening of ARCOmadrid 2020

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